Our Rides: A Crosstrek Into The Wilderness

You love Subaru. It is worth repeating that it is the favorite brand of automobile in the LGBTQ+ community. Simply because they recognize how much we love their vehicles.

That is why we’re part of their Love Promise.

Within our community, we have a strong population of those who live an active lifestyle. Some of us love the outdoors – very, very much. We want vehicles that are made for those lifestyles.

Two years ago, we reviewed the Subaru Forester Wilderness as part of the brand’s efforts to fill the need for us to take their vehicles further away from the highway. The results were great. It also helped to increase Forester sales last year with this addition to their lineup.

Last year, we reviewed the new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. We came away extremely pleased with how it took the spirit of the popular Forester and Outback onto much smaller footprint. We argued that if you did not need the space of the larger two sales leading models, the Crosstrek is the right vehicle for you.

It seemed inevitable that these two rising badges in the Subaru lineup would come together. The idea of a Wilderness version of the Crosstrek just seems so perfect for us. A concentrated space with a smaller footprint to go even further away from the highway and into tighter spaces.

We were so happy to welcome the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness into our fold for a brief spell. And, we loved every minute behind the wheel of it.

How does Subaru transform their compact hatchback crossover SUV into an off-road ready machine?

It starts with a Crosstrek equipped with the larger and more powerful 2.5-liter “Boxer” four-cylinder engine. This engine is already found on the Sport and Limited trim models. This driveline also comes with a continuously variable transmission and Subaru’s Symmetrical all-wheel drive system.

Then, they went to work on making it more rugged and compliant for off-highway use. Underneath its cladded skin is an upgraded suspension with longer springs and shock absorbers. This increased the ground clearance by 0.6 inches to accommodate the longer suspension travel. A set of all-terrain tires mounted on black-painted 17-inch wheels increase traction on many conditions and surfaces.

The next step is to enhance the all-wheel drive system. On the large infotainment touchscreen, you can set the X-MODE system to one of three modes: Normal, Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud. You also have a Low Speed/Low Ratio Gradient Control for managing steep hills. Combined, this system enables the Crosstrek Wilderness to take further afield without complaint.

That large 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen is part of an interior package that wears the Wilderness badge and its accompanying copper trim. You see this badge embossed on the front headrests, popping up on the digital screen on the instrument cluster, and on the rubber floor mats. The seats are upholstered in StarTex, a simulated material that is designed for easy washing after a day of dirt roads and mud.

Of course, the Crosstrek Wilderness’ exterior provides more clues as to its rugged demeanor. There is the requisite body cladding that is very aggressive around the lower part of the body. The Crosstrek’s updated front end wears a more aggressive grille that appears subtle against a front clip designed for an improved angle of approach. Out back is an aggressive splitter area and bumper cladding that offers a better angle of departure.

The final touches to the exterior of the Crosstrek Wilderness include a matte black hood decal, copper-colored trim – including large side Crosstrek badges – and a full complement of Wilderness badges. These serve as a reminder that your Subaru can go to most places a so-called true off-roader will.

The question that came up during our time in the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness was whether there was a difference between driving this and a mere Crosstrek. The short answer is “yes.”

For starters, the larger Boxer engine offers up 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. While numbers might not matter to consumers, it is real world performance that does. Acceleration is very good and passing maneuvers were done with ease. The CVT “shifts” accordingly, which helps. Highway cruising and off-highway driving were also very manageable.

In terms of fuel economy, we averaged 24.4 MPG.

When you drive a “lifted” vehicle with a longer spring/shock suspension, you expect the ride quality to be very soft. Actually, the Crosstrek Wilderness rode somewhere between soft and firm – just “right” for most driving situations. It made for a good experience when driving between cities.

Handling consisted of good cornering with nominal roll and lean. You had good overall maneuverability in evasive situations in the Crosstrek Wilderness.  

The size of the Crosstrek Wilderness helped in creating a small turning radius with light effort. You expect the latter because of its mission as an off-road ready vehicle. On-center feel was fine, however we wished for more weight to keep the vehicle within the lane. Brake pedal feel was solid, which resulted in very good stops in normal and panic situations.

Subaru now offers five trim levels for the 2024 Crosstrek starting from $25,195. Our top-of-the-line Wilderness tester arrived with an upgrade package including a Harman Kardon 10-speaker premium audio system. The sticker price came to $35,560.

Is this the Subaru Crosstrek you always wanted? If it is, then take stock in what it offers. Consider its small footprint, lifted suspension and ride height, and the built-in ability to get away from the highway into the woods towards the lake. All of this comes ready-made directly from the factory.

In addition to Subaru’s Love Promise to us, the company was one of the national sponsors of Dining Out For Life.

That is why we love Subarus. And, we really love our Crosstreks. The 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness is simply the next level of love.